Toy sand-grabber.



J. A. WALLACE & J. W. MARTIN.

TOY SAND GRABBER.

APPLIUATION TILED DEO.15, 1910.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

WITNESSES SAT l ll FFICE.

JOHN A. WALLACE AND JAMES W. MARTIN, OF DABLINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-SIGNORS TO ACME NOVELTY COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR-PORA'IION or PENNSYLVANIA.

TOY SAND-GRABBER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 24:, 1911.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN A. WALLACE and JAMES 1V. MARTIN, residents ofDarlington, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented a new. and useful Improvement in Toy Sand-Grabbers, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys, and the object of the invention is toprovide a toy resembling a clam shell dredger in miniature, and arrangedto automatically open when lowered, to automatically close when lifted,and to automatically dump when fully elevated, by the mere raising andlowering of the same.

The arrangement comprises the construe tion and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly insection, of the improved toy, showing the jaw or bucket members closed;Fig. 2 is a side View of the jaw or bucket members showing them open;and Fig. 3 is a side view partly in section, showing modifiedarrangements of bucket members.

The toy described is provided with a suitable base 1 which preferably isformed by bending a wire to generally triangular shape to form a base ofsufficient area to give the necessary stability to the structure, andhaving one of its ends provided with a coil or eye 2 through which theother end 3 projects vertically to form a stud for receiving the hollowmast or upright 4c. The latter may be tubular, or U-shape in crosssection, as shown, with its lower end closed sufficiently so that itcannot escape from the stud 3, and is loose on said stud so that it canrotate thereon as an axis. This mast has its upper end bent horizontallyto form the arm 5, and is in effect a derrick which can be swung aroundthe stud 3. At the end of the arm 5 is a platform 6 or other stationaryabutment for a purpose hereinafter described.

The hoisting means comprises a cable 7 which may be a cord or thelikeadapted to be wound upon a spool or drum 8 mounted in a bracket 9secured to the mast and provided with a crank handle for rotating thesame. Secured to the mast just "above the drum or spool is a loop-shapedguide 11 through which the cable passes, the latter then passingupwardly and over guide pins 12 and 13 near the outer end of arm 5 anddown through an opening in platform 6, and at its lower end is attachedto the bucket or jaw members.

The jaw or bucket members l l'are of generally rectangular shape, beingmade of tinned or other thin sheet metal, and are provided with endflanges 15, whose adjacent ends are connected by the pivot rod or pins16, forming the hinge for said jaw members. The outer sides of these jawmembers are formed as walls 17 which are the cutting or biting edges ofthe jaw or bucket members. Rigidly secured to the back of each jaw orbucket member, such as by soldering, is an arm 19, the arm of each jawor bucket member extending across the other jaw or bucket member, andconsiderably beyond the same and being provided with a weighted end 20.Pivotally secured to each arm 19 at 21 is a link 22, said links crossingeach other and being pivoted together at 23. The ends 24 of said linksproject a considerable distance beyond the pivot 23 and are preferablybent at right angles to form abutments for striking against thestationary platform 6 when the grabber or bucket is fully elevated. Thesuspending cable 7 is secured to a yoke or clevis 25, through whichpasses the pivot pin 23.

The weighted ends 20 of arms 19 are sufliciently ponderous to move thejaw or bucket members to the open position shown in Fig. 2 when thegrabber or bucket is dropped on the ground or floor. When the cable 7 iswound on spool 8 to lift the grabber or bucket the links 22 straightenout, and with the arms 19 form substantially a lazy tongs which closesthe jaw or bucket members, as shown in Fig. l. The bucket with thecontained contents will remain in this closed position until the ends24C of links 22 contact with the platform ti, and as the hoistingcontinues after such contact the links 22 are forced to a relativelyhorizontal position thereby opening the bucket and discharging the load,as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.

The device is intended to be used as a toy in connection either with asand pile or with a pan containing sand. The pan can be set on the base1, the bucket lowered onto the same, where it assumes an open position,

and when hoisted will close in the manner of a clam shell bucket andcarry with it a quantity of the sand. lVhen elevated the mast 4 can beswung on its pivot 3 and the load discharged at any desired point withinthe circle described by the end of arm 5. The sand is dumped by merelycontinuing the hoisting of the bucket until ends 24 of links 22 contactwith the platform 6. The user has his hands kept fairly well employed inorder to operate the drum or spool 8 and swing the derrick to depositthe load where desired, and as a consequence the toy affords muchentertainment for children, more so than toys which are entirelyautomatic, and which leaves little for the child to do. The toy can beoperated by even a small child, and at the same time gives a largerchild enough to do to hold his interest.

Fig. 3 shows a modification wherein the links 22 are connected to theextreme outer ends of arms 19, while weights 20 are located between theends of said arms. In this form the ends of links 22 are connecteddirectly together and to the hoisting cable. The opening of the bucketto discharge the load in this case is efiected by a tubular stationaryabutment 6 on the end of arm 5 into which the upper ends of links 22 aredrawn to force said links toward each other, and this, on account of theconnection of said links to the outer downturned ends of arms 19, causesthe jaw or bucket members to automatically open. WVith this form wherethe links 22 are connected to the outer ends of the arms 19 it isessential that said outer ends of the arms 19 be bent downwardly, asillustrated. The members 14: may be jaws of any form to grab material orobjects of any kind.

What we claim is:

1. A toy comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members, aweighted arm rigid on each of said jaw members, each of said armsprojecting over the other jaw member, links respectively pivotallyconnected to each of said arms and to each other, anda hoisting cablesuspending the pivotal point of said links.

2. A toy comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members, an armrigid on each of said jaw members, each of said arms projecting over theother jaw member, links respectively pivotally connected to each of saidarms and to each other, weights carried by said arms, and a hoistingcable suspending the pivot of said links.

3. A toy comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members, weightedarms rigidly connected to said jaw members, links pivotally connected tosaid weighted arms and to each other, and a single hoisting cableconnected to said links, the parts being so arranged that the singlehoisting cable closes the jaw members when lifted and that the weightsopen said jaw members when dropped.

4. A toy comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members, lazy tongmembers connected to said jaw members, a single hoisting cable connectedto said lazy tong members, and a stationary abutment arranged in thepath of said lazy tong members and adapted when contacted by said Lazytong members, to open the jaw memers.

5. A toy comprising a pair of pivotally connected jaw members, aweighted arm rigid on each of said jaw members, each arm projecting overthe other jaw member, a hoisting cable, and flexible connectionstherefrom connected respectively to each of said arms, a derrick,winding means on said derrick for said cable, a stationary abutment onsaid derrick, and means on the jaw members which when the latter arelifted will contact with said stationary abutment and open the jawmembers. I

6. A toy comprising a pairof. pivotally connected jaw members, aderrick,- winding means thereon, a cable extending from the windingmeans to the jaw members and connected thereto by means arranged toclose thejaw members upon lifting the same, a stationary member on saidderrick arranged in the path of movement of the jaw members, and meansconnected to the aw members arranged upon contact with said stationarymember to open said jaw members.

7. A toy comprising a base provided with an upwardly extendingprojection, a derrick comprising a hollow mast stepped on saidprojection, winding means on said derrick, pivotally connected jawmembers, a

cable extending from the winding means to said jaw members, oppositelyprojecting members connected to said jaw members, and a member carriedby said derrick and arranged to be contacted by said oppositelyprojecting members to open the jaws.

In testimony whereof, we havev hereunto set our hands.

JOHN A. WALLACE. JAMES w. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

O. A. DILLEY, MINNIE DILLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

